Nothing Left to Lose
by Cinderfire16
Summary: A visit from his sister leaves Jasper questioning his choices... and the rest of the family questioning his identity. One-shot. T for language and brief mention of suicide. Canon.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It belongs to Stephanie Meyer **

This happened every year. Every year exactly down to the month and day, their brother, her husband, would disappear. They didn't know why, but he always came back a few days or so later. He didn't say anything of his whereabouts when he returned, claiming that he needed to catch up on whatever that day's lessons had sought to teach him. Even the teachers no longer found it strange. They simply gave whatever assignments he had missed for that day to the sibling they knew the best, and expected it to be delivered by him when he re-appeared, whenever that was. He was always prompt with his work and had a neutral, if not enthusiastic in some matters, attitude, so they had no reason to complain.

This time, something must have happened, because he didn't disappear. He stayed at the house all day and no one thought any different because he still didn't show up at school. No one bothered with him save for his parents. They were always concerned about where he went, especially his mother. She didn't listen to her husband when he told her their son would be fine, because she knew he was lying to keep her calm. She appreciated it, and she told him so, but she knew something was wrong. She just didn't know what it was.

He currently paced the length of the floor, and she was less worried that he would trail the carpet than that he would wear himself out. Because he was not like the rest of them. He was mortal. He could bleed, get tired, required sleep, but he outmatched the others in strength and speed. He knew more about the world than they ever would, because they shelter themselves. He wasn't afraid to explore, and for that, she was proud of her son.

"What worries you so much?" She wondered.

"She's late." He muttered. "I told her to call me as soon as she got off the plane." She didn't know who he was talking about, but stuff like that happened all the time.

"Maybe her flight was late."

"By five hours?"

"That is a long time, but stuff happens, Jasper. She's probably fine."

His father was cut off by the ring of Jasper's phone. The blonde soldier sighed in relief when he saw who it was and answered it.

"What do you need, kittypet?"

"I hate that name, Uncwe Jasser!" The girl on the other end scowled.

"You'll live, kid. What's the matter?"

"Can you come get me from the airport? Mommy said she was going to be late and that we'd leave from your house."

"Yeah, that's fine. Where are you?"

Jasper programmed the directions into his GPS as soon as she rattled them off and narrowed his eyes.

"She would be on the other side of America."

"Will this girl need somewhere to stay?"

"It's only for the afternoon, Mom. She won't be any trouble." He promised.

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"She has a home, but her mother let her try out college so she's been staying there. Last I checked, her mother sold the house and told her to call me. Which was about" He glanced down at the silver watch on his wrist, which was a gift from his wife.

"Five hours ago." A knock at the door startled them all into silence and Jasper raced to open it.

"I told you I would pick you up." He scowled. "You shouldn't be anywhere by yourself, especially not with your powers kicking in. People notice stuff like that."

"But I stuck to the shadows like you taught me to! And no one even came near me! I didn't have to hide and all I did was follow your scent. No one bothered me!"

"Sure, kid. No one bothered you. What if they had? I wouldn't know where you were and your mother would kill me. Do you want your mother to kill me?" He asked as he led her to the living room where his parents waited.

"No."

"Good."

"Um… not to be rude, Jasper, but who is that?"

"You'll see." He muttered bluntly. They were cut off from speaking when his cell phone rang for the second time that day. He scowled again and rolled his eyes.

"What?!" He snarled.

"Please tell me she's safe!" Came the woman's frantic plea over the phone. He snorted.

"Of course she is, considering she decided to hike halfway across America using my scent as a guide."

"She did WHAT?!" Jasper yanked the phone away from his ear just in time to hear the woman's shriek.

"Yes, please, drive me to death with your ridiculous yowling. As if I can't hear well enough already, what with me being oh, I don't know half vampire and all."

"Put my daughter on the phone, Jasper!"

"Yeesh. No love?"

"Jasper!"

"Obviously not." He grumbled, handing the phone to the girl. "It's for you." He smirked. She shivered and he rolled his eyes.

"She only yells at me because she cares about you. Just talk."

"Hello?" She mumbled softly into the phone. The woman heaved a sigh of relief and chattered on with her daughter.

"Thank you, Jas. I owe you one."

"I'm feeling pretty generous. How about we call it even until I can think of something suitable?"

"Deal." He knew she would do something to make him call in that favor. It was how they worked. He thought with his head and she followed her heart. It was what led to the whole disaster in the first place, what ended with her having a daughter and him having to look after said little girl in the first place because her mother's survival depended on her ability to adapt. He wouldn't change the life he lived for the world.

"Give Jasper the phone, mi tigresa." The woman murmured softly.

The girl huffed and relinquished the object to its owner, who gave her a small smirk.

"That little huff I heard? All you."

"Not this time. You were just as much drama royalty as I was."

"Shove off, Jas. I really do need you to look after her."

"And I will. When are you picking her up?"

"Hopefully later today. It depends."

"On?"  
"How quickly I can get to Forks from Spain."

"Should be relatively easy if it's a straight trip."

"How straight does it have to be?"

"You should know that by now. I'm hanging up on you."

"See you later then, Jas."

He pressed the end button and slipped the phone back into his pocket with a barely audible sigh.

"What was that?" Esme wondered.

"Babysitting service." Her son grumbled. "The usual. It won't be forever. She's pretty well-behaved, all things considered."

"That's not what I'm worried about, Jasper. What happens when the others come home?" Carlisle demanded.  
"You're about to find out." He groused in response.

"Hey, is Jas- oh…" Alice was the first to enter the house, followed by Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward. They all stood gaping at the she-cat who had become deathly silent at their arrival watching with narrowed eyes as she crouched at his feet. He rolled his eyes and picked her up until they were eye to eye.

"They're okay."

**What if they aren't? **

"I trust them, even if you don't yet. They're okay."

The cat nodded and leapt onto his shoulder, rubbing her muzzle against his cheek and slowing her tail to flick in apprehension.

"Usually humans say hello when they meet someone new, Bella." He purred quietly.

The cat narrowed her yellow-brown eyes and shook herself out before running the length of Jasper's arm. In her place stood a young girl who looked to be about eight years old with straight, brown hair and brown eyes that sparkled with caution.

She gave a shy wave and continued to bury her face in the leg of Jasper's pants. He sighed and left to sit on the couch. The girl let out a small yelp when she realized that she was alone and raced to sit on his lap. He stroked her hair and she leaned into his side with a sigh.

"Since she refuses to introduce herself under the pretense that you are all going to eat her, her name is Isabella Marie Swan, and I'm watching her until her mother comes to pick her up at which point in time you will get a full explanation… most likely via yelling and screaming depending on what crazy idea she has now." The last part was muttered so that only Bella heard it, and she gave her uncle an unappreciative smack on the arm.

"It's true, kid. Your mother gives me more headaches than I got when I was training the newborns. And that was a migraine of catastrophic proportions." He huffed.

"I feel so loved." A woman's voice made the vampires in the room angle their ears to where she stood by the front door. Jasper flicked an ear in a lazy welcome.

"You realize that this could be considered breaking and entering. All things considered, I'm glad you taught _her_ how to knock."

"At least she's polite when she hates your guts." She grumbled. "It would appear that you never learned any manners, no matter who taught you."

Jasper yawned and rolled his eyes.

"I'd like to think I learned more from you than I did my father did when he was around, the bastard." He groused.

"You're supposed to respect the dead, Jasper. You know that."

"I have no respect for him. I'm glad he's dead."

"You're lucky I don't have the energy to slap you."

"3-2-1…" Esme blinked in surprise when Bella smacked him on the arm.

"Bad Uncwe Jasser!" She scowled.

"I'm sorry, Kitten, but my dad was really mean when he was alive."

"Not nice!" She growled.

"I'll try not to say it again." He sighed. She purred happily and raced over to the woman.

"Mommy!" She squealed.

"So where are you going this time?"

"I was thinking another tour around Europe would do some type of good."

Jasper let out a sharp growl that shocked everyone in the room except for the two speaking.

"Any place in particular?" He sneered.

"What I do with my spare time is none of your business! And for the record, I was going to ask if they'd let her stay here with you."

"Have you lost your mind?!" He snarled.

"Maybe… I need to see him."

"To benefit who? You or the rest of the Volturi?"

"Jasper-"

"You know what's going to happen, Kathy."

"Jasper!" She snarled.

"What?!" He hissed. He was pacing now, and his sudden anger caused Bella to whimper.

He sighed and glared at the new woman, Kathy.

"Any chance you can stay away from him?"

"Can you stay away from her?" Kathy asked, motioning to Alice. Jasper shook his head.

"I'd try, but probably not."

"Now you see why I have to go."

"I don't like it." He growled.

"I'm not asking your permission, Jasper." She muttered.

"Of course not. You just need me to accept it." He grumbled.

"You're sulking." She sighed patiently.

"So I'm not allowed to show emotions, just feel them, right?" He scoffed.

"I never said anything about how you use your powers, Jasper. I'm asking you to trust me."

"Well pardon me, but I can't do that just yet. You remember what happened the last time you went there?"

"Yes, but-"

"What's your excuse this time?"

"Do you want me to go jump off a cliff? Because that's what I very much feel like doing if you so please!"

"Dramatic much?" Rosalie sneered.

"She's done that before, and not to gain attention, but more so because she was desperate and I wouldn't give her my gun."

"You left out the part where you stranded me in the Middle of Nowhere, Montana where there were cliffs galore and not a car in sight." The young woman smirked.

"That too… Suicide is only fun when you're creative with it, and if I recall correctly, which I do, you pushed me off before you jumped yourself."

"Oh! You went cliff-diving?! I want to try! Can you take-"

"No!" Kathy, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle exclaimed simultaneously.

"Maybe when you get bigger, kid. And older. And get a driver's license. And get to the point where your mother doesn't have to constantly drop you off with me so she can go off on her crazy adventures and just takes you with her instead. And- you know what, kid? You have a lot of growing up to do."

"Jasper!" Esme gasped in horror.

"It may be true, but you don't have to _say_ it!"

"Thanks, Uncwe Jasser! That means I still get to ride on your back!" the little girl purred.

Jasper nodded to her and grinned at her mother. Kathy shot him an exasperated glare.

"She said it, not me."

"I wonder about you, Son." Carlisle's eyes sparkled with amusement at his wife's offhand comment.

"Thank you, Mother. I feel so loved!" He smirked. Kathy rolled her eyes.

"I don't have to say that because it's a requirement." She scoffed.

"You fucking better." He grumbled.

"Of course I don't love you, idiot! I hate your guts and I'd rather throw you to the wolves than spend another second with you." She snorted dryly. He rolled his eyes.

"And I thought I was the only one with a harsh sense of sarcasm." The soldier muttered.

"No, yours just happens to show the most."

"_Mine_ shows the most?! Do you _remember_ who you married, Kath?" He snickered.

"Of course I do. He's got an awesome sense of humor that doesn't show itself nearly enough!" She justified.

"Speaking of my ever-so-depressed brother-in-law, when exactly are you leaving?"

"I would be gone by now if you weren't so good at distracting me."

"It is one of my specialties… but, since I'm sure you're a few seconds away from stealing my gun, you can go."

"Really? I didn't know I required your permission."

"I could keep you locked in a dark room with spoiled meat and filthy water and you'd still find some way to see that bastard."

"He's not-"

"It's not my permission you seek. It's my approval. Now get out of my sight before you make me regret it." He growled.

She nodded and disappeared in a flash.

"Where she go again?"

"To see your father, kid." Where she always tries to go.

"She comes back right?"

"Sure, kid. She'll be back. You want some ice cream?"

"No." She mumbled. "I not hungwy."

"Then why are you clinging to me like a little monkey?"

"Cause mommy's gone and you give good hugs."

"Thanks, kid, but you really do need to eat something."

"Pizza?" Jasper narrowed his eyes in concentration. How likely was his sister to pause her trip and come back just to ream him out? He shook his head. Not very likely.

"Sure. Pizza's great." He muttered. "God knows I have enough cash to eternally fund a charity."

**What else could I possibly have to lose**?


End file.
